BY DAIGO SAWANO

It has been 32 years since the Faculty of Foreign Languages was set up at the establishment of Sapporo University. From the beginning of S.U., the faculty has continued to advance to meet the diversifying needs of international society. It has turned out about 4,520 students. In April of the year 2000,

Graduate School will be established in the Faculty in Sapporo University. The foundation of a graduate school has been sought by the alumni and educators , and the university took up the request. So graduate school is to be established in the Faculty of Foreign languages of S.U.. in the momentous year 2000. The number of undergraduate students at S.U. who aren't satisfied with only a bachelor's degree is increasing, because in the current slow economy companies demand varied specific talents. It is very important that this graduate school be established from the view point of training students with high-level skills companies demand.

The newly established Faculty of Foreign Languages Graduate School consists of the English and Russian school. It is first graduate school in Hokkaido for research into languages like English and Russian. The Russian Department has acted as a bridge between Russia and Japan, that role will be enlarge with the establishment a graduate school. In the graduate school The Faculty of Russian aims to improve students' proficiency in Russian. The faculty of English has always tried to improve the teachers course, and has played a major part in English education in Hokkaido. With the establishment of a graduate school students will be able to get specialized licenses.

The Graduate school in S.U. will have only a master's course, there is no doctorate course, because the purpose of the graduate school is to train people with high- level skills. This is different from the traditional figure of graduate school, so is a very original plan. The Faculty of Foreign Languages Graduate School emphasizes the three points of language, literature and proficiency in foreign languages. But Professor Kato, the Dean of Faculty of Foreign Languages and Foreign Languages in Graduate School, said " we would like to train students not only in mastering language, literature and to have proficiency in foreign languages but to be a cultured person who has broad horizons as well.

Graduate School at S.U. has also a varied curriculum for those who are already in society. Training and lecture classes will be held at the 5th or 6th period, and students can receive instruction from professors using E-mail. Therefore the students can concentrate on both their study and job. In fact , among the eleven people in the first year of the Graduate School some are working as high school teacher and the like. And with the Internet developing so rapidly today, there will also be computor-assisted language training in Graduate School.

S.U. has five faculties in the four-year college and two faculties in the junior college, and will have five graduate schools which consist of The Faculty of Business Administration, Law and of the Foreign Languages established as we enter the 21st century. The Faculty of Economics and that of Cultures Graduate Schools will start in 2001. S.U. will become a university which will play a large role in the community and economy of Hokkaido.